[In Memoriam]: Senator Edward M. Kennedy from Bisexual Veteran Cliff Arnesen

Cliff Arnesen, President
New England Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Veterans, Inc.
John F. Kennedy Station
P. O. Box 6599
Boston, MA 02114

http://www.newengland-glbt-vets.org

CELL PHONE: 617-697-1045 (Public)

Office Of Senator Edward M. Kennedy
317 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

Office of Hon Senator Edward M. Kennedy
2400 John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Boston, MA 02203

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

Dear Staff, Friends, Loved Ones, and Family of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy:

On behalf of our membership, please know that I and our membership are greatly saddened at the passing of the "Lion of the U.S. Senate," Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and send our heartfelt condolences to Senator Kennedy's Staff, Friends, Loved Ones and to all in his family.

Over the past 20 years, I have had the personal honor of working with Senator Kennedy and his staff on a myriad of issues germane to the LGBT Community.

These issues were inclusive of ending the military's inhumane "Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy"; much needed help to take care of ALL of our Country's veterans needs with more monies for the Department of Veterans Affairs to combat homelessness, HIV/AIDS, Agent Orange, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and more. Thus, I attach group photo of our members with Senator Kennedy, as well as two personal photos.

Also, Senator Kennedy was a champion of human and civil rights for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender people in many respects, inclusive of helping to formulate a Hate Crimes Bill.

On a personal note, today marks a dark and sad day for me, as I have known and worked with Senator Kennedy's office for 20 years. When in Washington, DC, Sen. Kennedy always took the time to speak with us as a group of veterans, always urging us to never give up our fight to secure human & civil rights--not special rights -- for our country's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Veterans, and the larger LGBT Community.

I will miss Senator Kennedy, and extend my personal regards to his Staff, Friends, Loved Ones, and Family.

However, I am comforted in the knowledge that Sen. Kennedy is in God's loving embrace for eternity.

In sadness,
Cliff Arnesen
Cliff Arnesen, President

Bisexual US Army (Vietnam -Era Veteran) 1965-1967
Imprisoned & Discharged as Homosexual From US Army in 1967
Disabled Person/ 70% Non Service Connected Disability
Current Volunteer: Jamaica Plain, MA, Veterans Administration Medical Center

(1 0f 5) Co-Founders, Natl. Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Veterans of America, Inc. (now American Veterans for Equal Rights)
Member: Predominately Gay, Alexander Hamilton, American Legion Post 448
Former Board Member: National Bisexual Advisory Board
Former Medical Patient Services Assistant, US Department of Veterans Affairs
First "Openly Bisexual" Veteran In America to Testify on Behalf of GLBT Veterans Before The U.S. Congress, via U.S. House Committee On Veterans Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (1989 & 1990)

The Genocidal Pastor

Whatever happened to "Thou shalt not kill?"

Pastor Stephen L. Anderson, of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, like Phelps, is advocating the death of queers. He is an Independent Bapsist, and so not part of any larger denomination who could be asked to put pressure on him. The Independent Baptists all preach against homosexuality, but not to the degree he does:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Baptist

You can watch his video at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDWSwvVZ6Bs

Please flag his video for hate speech, and you can also report him at:

http://www.youtube.com/safety_help

It takes a bit of patience to report him, because you have to wade through 420 video in order to be able to click on this one "The Truth about the Sodomites." But it's worth it if we can get him banned.

Jackson, of Queer Subversion, has written very eloquently about this:

http://queersubversion.blogspot.com/2009/08/stephen-l-anderson.html


We can also get Anderson's Web site shut down. To see how, go to Queer Action Alerts at:

http://queeractionalerts.wetpaint.com/page/Pastor+Steven+Anderson

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Update Wednesday 26 Ahugust 2009: From Pam's House Blend Heat-packing protester connected to Pastor Steven Anderson

The Intersection, Electric

an Essay by Faith Cheltenham

In 2004, Diane Finnerty, co-director of the Raíces (Roots) project at the University of Iowa wrote an open letter beseeching her white Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender sisters and brothers to recognize the danger of being “enlisted knowingly or unknowingly in [a] racist agenda.”

Finnerty advocated against making “statements that diminish the impact of racism” like “I’m surprised that you, as a person of color, wouldn’t understand this is a civil rights issue.”

While marriage equality has become a dominating issue for LGBT Americans, according to the Human Rights Campaign’s new study, “At The Intersection: Race, Sexuality and Gender" (or download pdf) LGBT people of color still experience more discrimination due to race than because of sexual orientation. Shedding light on everyday experiences of LGBT people of color, “At the Intersection” exposes a collective truth outside of just anecdotal evidence while suggesting key talking points for discussing social justice across lines we have too long used to define.

Please CLICK HERE to read the rest of Faith's Essay

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this essay is from "A National Conversation about Race, Sexuality and Gender" part of Equality Forward a campaign by the Human Right's Campaign posted on August 12, 2009 by Faith Cheltenham, a web and media producer, a Bisexual Writer/Comedian as well as a current Board Member of BiNet USA

[USA]: Micah Kellner: New York State’s Openly Bisexual Assemblyman

When I first ran for office, a group of my friends, mostly gay men, decided to sit down with me to determine “what Micah was going to be”, because he couldn't be bi.

They felt no one would ever accept a bisexual, so some said “say you're straight”, and others said “say you're gay”. Someone suggested that I should state to the Stonewall Democratic club that while I've had sex with men in the past, I just don't identify as a member of the GLBT community, which I took to mean that I was openly on the “down low”, which made no sense.

We finally decided honesty was the best policy

Read Full and Fascinating Article here:
Micah Kellner: New York’s Openly Bisexual Assemblyman

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this article originally published in the Bi Social News by staff reporter Mizz M on August 11, 2009

[Chicago USA] Bi Health Summit -- almost here!

The Bisexual Health Summit has almost arrived! Please join us at the Chicago Hilton Towers on Friday, August 14th for an all-day, can't-miss conference on the critical issues and most up to date information on bisexual health.

Be sure to start the Summit right at our kick-off event on the night of August 13th at MiniBar Ultra Lounge and Cafe at 339-41 N. Halsted Street in Chicago's famed and fun "Boystown" Gayborhood. And then stick around for the rest of the LGBTI Health Summit, which runs from August 14th thru the 18th 2009.

Register for the Bi Health Summit now and avoid hassles at the door!

Take a look at the incredible line-up of presenters on a variety of bi health topics.

And if you can't attend the Summit this year, for only $15 you can buy a Bisexual Health t-shirt to commemorate the event and proudly display your support for bi/fluid/pan health issues & for your community. You can also contribute by sending a check made out to "Howard Brown Health Center", put "LGBTI Health Summit" in the memo line, and mail to: Catherine Jefcoat,
Director, Lesbian Community Care Project, Howard Brown Health Center, 4025 N. Sheridan Road,Chicago, IL 60613

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone at the Bi Health Summit in Chicago.

Sincerely,
Julie Ebin, Jen Bonardi, Stewart Landers, Ed Negron, and Luigi Ferrer
Bi Health Summit Committee

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Bisexual/Fluid/Pansexual & Queer-identified people. Looking for community in the Chicago area? Join up and go hang out with all the people at the Chicago Bisexual/Queer Community Meetup and makes some Myspace "net-friends" at Bisexual Chicago VisiaBIlity, Chicago's Bisexual Social Advocacy Group or shoot them an email at Bisexual.Chicago (at) gmail (dot) com.

DADT kills

(For a summary of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, please see the previous blog, "Obama and DADT.")

On June 30th, an openly bisexual seaman, August Provost, was murdered while on duty. It turns out he was being harrassed for his sexual orientation, but could not report it for fear of DADT. The whole story is told eloquently by our own Mike Szymanski:

http://www.examiner.com/x-3366-Bisexuality-Examiner~y2009m8d1-Suspect-in-murder-of-bisexual-is-sailor-found-dead-in-his-cell?cid=examiner-email

As Mike notes, without DADT, this young man might not be dead. As noted by the Palm Center:

"The Palm Center released a study this spring showing that the president has the power of "stop-loss" which he could use to halt all discharges under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." While some worry this would be a temporary solution, it would actually be the wisest way to lift the ban permanently, as part of a one-two punch: Obama could suspend discharges using stop-loss and then, six months down the line, point to the success of openly gay service and ask Congress to repeal the policy once and for all."

Please write the President at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

and urge him to end DADT now under Stop-Loss, before more people die.